Cold Hell
by W0nderboy
Summary: The Roughnecks are shipped to Wisconsin to check out rumor the bugs are settling there.


It was a frozen wasteland. Many Roughnecks swear that there was no difference then that of the asteroid bug they had landed on many months earlier.  
  
Isabelle "Dizzy" Flores watched her breath. It was the only thing to do while she waited for the bugs to make their move. She wanted to know what she was doing out here in this freezing weather without her Power suit.   
  
S.I.C.O.N. reported that the clone bugs could fool anyone in stolen Power Suits. There was one flaw. They had makings on the back of their neck. But the markings could be easily be concealed in a suits, but not in jungle outfits. So they gave the order, ignoring the complaints of the soldiers, to go out in jungle gear which was used for the Tesca Nemerosa campaign, which gave less protection from blows and from the weather. Most of the troops were sent out to certain areas of California, Utah, Arizona, Washington DC, and other areas that were at that time, very warm.  
  
Then there were the Roughnecks. They were sent over to investigate an incident in Wisconsin where there had been possible sightings of bugs. They had forgot to mention that the state was having the biggest snowstorm that existed in years.  
  
That is why she was waiting here, half frozen in this wasteland. She wasn't the only one who was suffering. The Roughnecks had been here for 3 days and were losing morale. This was bad. Why did they have to suffer like this?  
  
She turned her head over to Doc. He was suffering the same fate as she. If the LT were here he would tell them that this would help them. She could only think of a few times that he had actually smiled or told a joke. But Razak would always be the man he was. Serious about his rank, his work. He was the one who formed the Roughnecks in the first place, and they got use to his orders despite complaints of his troopers. He was fair too. He had fought for what was right, both the bugs and S.I.C.O.N. He was like a father to all of them. And she was sure at this exact time he tell would them that this damned weather would help them.  
  
But Jean Razak was dead.  
  
His death in San Francisco was still a bitter pill that all the Roughnecks had to swallow.  
  
"How long before our shift is over?"  
  
"We still have an hour to go.", replied Doc.  
  
It would be a surprise if she lived to see the next shift. If you died, it could be a sure bet that they would never find your body, in this weather anyways.  
  
She wasn't eager to test that theory anytime soon. So she decided to wait it out. Maybe the bugs would attack. She was hoping this was true. Sure would beat this boredom. Staring at trees was getting to be annoying. She closed her eyes for a sec, then opened them again. She had been on this shift for a good eight hours. It was not fun. There was no way you could play cards. The wind would blow them away. And there were no novels one could read, just a bunch of S.I.C.O.N. manuals. At the first hour, she and Doc talked. But after a while it stopped, just stopped. So she looked at the trees for a while.  
  
She had been looking at them for seven hours now. She hoped the half-hour would be over soon. It was like time was slowed down in this place just to torture her.  
  
They did a great job. She had signed up for fighting bugs.  
  
Not to be stranded here where it was nothing but frozen ice and frozen trees. There was nothing to do but wait.  
  
Wait for what exactly?  
  
Who called them here in the first place?  
  
She bet there weren't any bugs here. It was probably a hoax. She was hoping somebody would say that. Then they could go back and she could get some form of sleep before they were shipped to someplace better then here. She pulled the heavy blanket around her. She had already been checked. The troopers were checked to see if there were markings before every shift. S.I.C.O.N.'s work no doubt. She felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Doc telling her that the shift was over.  
  
They saw the replacement that got stuck with the next shift. She didn't know if she should sympathized.   
  
As the headed for the ship, she looked around at the area she had watched for what seemed like forever. Then she continued to walk toward the place what seemed like heaven compared to this hell.  
  
She really hated this fucking place.  
  
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Cold Hell   
Part 1  
  
"Wisconsin"  
  
By W0nderboy  
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Starship Troopers was written by Robert A. Heinlein. BKN did the cartoon, I think.  
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Lt. Johnny Rico was checking over some reports sent over by S. I. C. O. N. They had been complaining that no one there was following their order to make sure that the solders were human and not bug. Rico didn't really give a damn. He, like the rest of the Roughnecks, wondered what they were doing here in the first place. There was beeping. Someone at S. I. C. O. N. was sending them a message and as much as he hated doing it, Rico had to respond.  
  
"How is the sweep of the area going Lieutenant?"  
  
"Not good. We have short morale and even shorter tempers and we are FREEZING our asses off. Why in the hell are we here again?"  
  
"Well, we have good news...um Lieutenant. It seems that that there are no bugs in the area."  
  
"Funny, I thought the same thing... a few days ago."  
  
"Temper Lieutenant. It could get you into trouble, not like it already has."  
  
The man smiled, not good.  
  
"At 0400, you will move out. You will fly to the base and we will brief you on your new assignment. Oh yes, sorry for inconveniencing for three days."  
  
Bullshit.  
  
"Well, Lieutenant, do you understand your orders?"   
  
"I understand Sir."  
  
"Good. See you and your apes at 0400. Wilkins out."  
  
  
  
If there was one person Rico hated the most, it was Frankford Wilkins. He had sworn at one point to eliminate that rat even if it meant he would be in the barricade for the rest of his life. But he was there and they were here in the wasteland.  
  
He checked his watch. It was 2300, which meant they had to spend five more hours here. Still, they would be happy when he told them that they were assigned to leave, even though they were never supposed to be here in the first place. Rico sighed and sat down to do the reports they had send by mail yesterday. Who would send a man just to give him these? It meant they were important, but not important enough to send someone personally. It gave him something to do at least. He decided he would to break the news to the Roughnecks about the reassignment at 0200. By that time, the two troopers sent out on patrol would be back by then and he didn't want to leave anyone behind. With that decision made he started working on the reports.  
  
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T'Phai and Gossard patrolled the area. T'Phai was using the only Power Suit. Besides, who would imitate a Skinnie? S.I.C.O.N. predicted that the Bug Queen would have the better advantage with her clones imitating a human. Right now, T'Phai was the only one of his kind on Earth. The rest were scattered with other units cleaning up any bugs that were in hiding. They knew that they were losing and it was every bug for itself. But that was futile. More solders enlisted. They made sure that every area of every planet was checked over hundred, even more times. The queen being on Earth was the only thing keeping them going. But even they knew that that wouldn't last to long. The army being criticized, saying that more soldiers should be place here. But S.I.C.O.N. insisted that their tactics was preventing another bug war. To prevent no more lives from being lost.   
  
Gossard checked his watch. It was 2300. That meant it was 11:00 pm. He couldn't wait to get back to a normal time zone like everybody else. He felt a strange tingling in his head, but he had ignored it. A screech. Was he hearing things? Another one. Then he saw them.  
  
"Bugs!"  
  
They smashed through the trees. It was firefries. Ten of them. Gossard fired, taking out two. He looked around. Where the hell did they come from? He saw T'Phai fire several grenades off. They hit the snow but they didn't go off. Great. He fire off few more shots and was rewarded with the death of another firefry.  
  
"Run!"  
  
He saw T'Phai retreating as more firefries appeared. He took the advice and did the same. But T'Phai did not retreat because of the bugs. A few minutes later, a huge explosion suddenly happened. Gossard couldn't wonder how this had happened because he was running for his life, but he had a suspicion on who was responsible.  
  
He tripped face first into the snow. he got up and started to run again, but T'Phai said, "I think it is now safe Corporal."  
  
The blast had done its work nicely. The bugs that didn't get caught in the blast and blown to smithereens were cooked to a crisp, quite nicely. Still, it meant that the bugs were here.  
  
"Better report this to Rico." The tingling had returned.  
  
"Corporal?"  
  
"I'm fine private."  
  
He dropped his equipment and took out his radio took out his radio. "This is Gossard over."  
  
Nothing.  
  
"This is Gossard speaking, we have bugs. Send reinforcements, over."  
  
Nothing.  
  
"That's strange." Gossard was sure they would report in, unless the radio was out or....  
  
"Oh God."  
  
He grabbed his equipment.  
  
"Shit. This wasn't an attack!"  
  
T'Phai already knew what the order was. They both hailed ass back to camp.  
  
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When they got there, the action had already started. They watched on the cliff overlooking the scene that was going on. Thousands of bugs were heading toward them. The Roughneck were losing. They had to get down there fast. Before he could make a move...  
  
"Wait.", he heard.  
  
A Brain bug had just made an entrance. No doubt about it. Something was going on, but what? The Roughnecks could only hold out for a few more seconds before they were overtaken.  
  
"If we don't do anything soon, they will killed. No, worse.." The Brain bug was there as well.  
  
"Thanks for preventing me from doing anything stupid."  
  
"I didn't do anything Corporal."  
  
"But I did."  
  
Gossard turned around to see a pale face thin man.  
  
"Jenkins!" What are you doing here?"  
  
"I was sent to find you. Rico said it was important. I was sending you messages though thought."  
  
So the tingling he had felt before was Jenkins. That wasn't important, but if Jekins could use ESP, then he could read minds and to keep busy he was thinking besides this damned planet...  
  
"So what's the plan?"  
  
"I don't know..." Gossard looked around the area.  
  
"Maybe we can cause an avalanche where the bugs are."  
  
"And it will not only bury the bugs, but the others as well." Carl gave a grim face while saying it.  
  
"I didn't say it was foolproof."  
  
"Any other suggestions?", asked the Skinnie.  
  
"Well we could use a head-on attack. But would be tricky, seeing how there are thousands of them and only three of us."  
  
Carl spoke. "Well all of them are being commanded by the Brain bug right?"  
  
"I guess."  
  
"Then I have an idea. All you have to do is distract them, and NO QUESTIONS ASKED."  
  
Gossard nodded and so did T'Phai, but neither of them had any idea what Carl was thinking. Nor did they want to.  
  
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"FUCK!"  
  
Hell had just broke through in only a few seconds. Higgins and Doc called it a split second too late. They had dug in, but the didn't know how long they could last.  
  
This was the first time she had heard Doc use such language. It was understandable, seeing what the situation was, and no chance of surviving it. T'Phai was out there still, and Carl and Gossard. They were probably dead. Like they were going to be.  
  
She was scared.  
  
But she didn't show it. No, a Flores would never be seen scared. Besides if Eddie found out, she would never live to see the end of it. If she live to see the end of it.  
  
She fire the last remaining shots into the group of attacking bugs, dropping whoever tried to cross the pulse rifle's blast. Then she reloaded. If she was going to die today, she would die with honor, like a trooper. Like Razak's Roughnecks then and Rico's Roughnecks now.  
  
Then the bugs broke though.  
  
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Gossard heard a scream. It was too late. He cocked his gun at ready, waiting for Carl's signal. It was too late before the ambush came, too late to save them. Now the focus was to eliminate the threat.  
  
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"Higgins... Get out of here with the others..."  
  
"But..."  
  
"NOW!!!!"  
  
Dizzy struggled as the attacking bug's overhead claw was being held off by her gun. The others had retreated. Her mind flashed back for a second.  
  
"Higgins...GO!!!!"  
  
"Dizzy... Come back alive."  
  
"You really think that after all we've been through..." She grunted, still trying to hold the lone bug off. "That one of us would be killed by the bugs now?"  
  
Higgins ran off. Then he turned and said, "Is that promise?"  
  
"Yeah... I guess it is."  
  
A few seconds later a claw came down. Dizzy broke from her thoughts in time and jumped back. She rolled backwards with the bugs coming at her.  
  
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Gossard waited.  
  
"Please let them be ok."  
  
Now wasn't the time to be distracted. He concentrated when Carl would give the signal. He didn't have to wait long; Carl lit a flare, light enough for Roughneck to see, but not the bugs. Then he tossed it.  
  
The flash went off and for a few seconds, Gossard could see. And neither could the bugs. He had covered his eyes a spit second before he could have been blinded permanently. The flash lasted a few seconds then stopped. He heard screams of the creatures as hundred of Bugs surround him for the kill. Gossard fired several shots taking down 2 bugs. T'Phai was just as unsuccessful. Then they heard the loud pitch like the one Carl used on the home world.  
  
"He's talking with it.", Gossard thought to himself.  
  
Then he released when was going to happen. Carl was just full of surprises wasn't he? But now he had to keep the rest of the Brain Bug's friends away from him...  
  
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Dizzy tumbled into a tree. She was right side up and let the pursuers have it. Then she continued to run to find the other Troopers. She ran and ran. But she got nowhere. She heard a pitching noise. She couldn't explain it, or the light she had seen earlier. Both made her run a little faster. Then she released that it one of the Roughnecks' flash grenades. Then she released that it was Carl.  
  
Then she realized that she was lost.  
  
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END OF PART 1  
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Author's Notes: Well Cold Hell is my first Starship Trooper fiction. This is based off the cartoon, so for those who don't know, Roughnecks is a fully computer animated series too. The best ones did come later in the series, especially the Earth Campaign which this story takes place. I have no idea when the second part will be written...  
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I'd like to thank the following people:  
  
http://www.asymca.ak.org/time.html for the "unoffical" help with the military time. It wasn't my best subject and this really helped the story I think. Also I'd like to thank my Beta Readers:  
  
Crazy Moon: CrazyMoon20@yahoo.com   
  
Citizen Dave: TrooperPX@aol.com  
  
Thank you for taking your time to read this fanfiction. I'm sorry this didn't appear on FF.N I just corrected it, so now credit has been given to you. I hope you can be the beta readers for part 2. :) 


End file.
